Xuan Yuan stared at the little thief carrying the bronze halberd on his shoulder, watching his disheveled figure running down the rugged mountain path, and suddenly felt as if he had truly mistaken him for someone else.

The other man had his sleeves rolled up, carrying the bronze halberd as if it were a carrying pole.

How could this be a warrior?

If Chen Ji were *that* person, even if he were weaker than the Halberd Giant, he would easily win with his innate battle instincts. But this person could only flee awkwardly across the mountain…

If *that* person were here, he would never run, no matter how powerful the enemy.

Even if a towering mountain blocked his path, he would move it.

But this one here would take a detour.

At this moment, Chen Ji was panting, carrying the bronze halberd.

He looked back to check and saw the Halberd Giant rushing through the mountains, his black armor rustling, his red cloak fluttering behind him. His physique was as imposing as a battle chariot.

Chen Ji thought, “Is this kind of fierce general only one level above me? Brother, you said one level higher—isn’t that the difference between the Acquired Realm and the Innate Realm?”

No, that’s not right.

If Si Cao were here, how would I have the chance to run off with this bronze halberd?

As long as it’s not the Innate Realm, it’s fine.

The two descended the mountain, one after the other. Chen Ji, carrying the bronze halberd, ran slower and slower, panting more and more heavily.

Xuan Yuan’s gaze grew increasingly disappointed.

However, at that very moment, Chen Ji suddenly stopped panting, and his steps were no longer heavy.

Instead, his eyes became focused, and he spun around abruptly.

Chen Ji twisted his waist, turned, and raised his hand, all in one fluid motion.

The bronze halberd in his hand thrust backward with the force of thunder.

The thrust was perfectly timed. As the Halberd Giant charged, it was as if he himself had run into the halberd’s tip. The immense force of the collision was so great that even his armor couldn’t withstand it.

The black armor was forcefully pierced by Chen Ji’s halberd, penetrating the Halberd Giant’s abdomen.

Chen Ji sighed with relief, but a slight smirk played on Xuan Yuan’s lips, as if in jest: “Futile!”

The next moment, the Halberd Giant completely disregarded the wound in his abdomen. He grasped the sharp blade of the bronze halberd with both hands and pulled it out, fearless of death.

He saw the giant’s hands tremble slightly, and Chen Ji felt a huge force transmit through, making his hands go numb, causing him to involuntarily release his grip on the bronze halberd.

The Halberd Giant allowed blood to gush from his abdomen, raised the bronze halberd high, and then brought it down vertically like Mount Tai crushing its prey.

From beginning to end, there was no pain in the Halberd Giant’s expression; he didn’t even flinch, as if having his abdomen pierced was a trivial matter.

“Hiss…”

Chen Ji awoke in the small courtyard of the medical hall, gasping greedily.

“Another nightmare?” the Young Lord asked curiously. “You’ve had several nightmares in a short time. Perhaps you encountered a villain earlier and were frightened.”

As he spoke, the Young Lord noticed Chen Ji’s gaze.

The apprentice boy wasn’t even looking at him, yet the Young Lord felt a tremor in his heart, as if a fierce beast was breathing nearby, exhaling a heavy scent of blood.

Liang Mao’er came out of the kitchen carrying food: plain white porridge served with spicy and sour cabbage and small pickled vegetables, light and delicious.

He looked at Chen Ji: “Eat first, then sleep.”

Chen Ji shook his head, slowly closing his eyes: “I’m not hungry right now, thank you!”

The Young Lord came back to his senses. He looked at Chen Ji more carefully, but found him merely lying tiredly on the bamboo chair, nothing unusual.

He must have been mistaken.

At this moment, Chen Ji had returned to the battlefield.

He saw the Halberd Giant standing unharmed on the mountaintop, not attacking immediately.

Xuan Yuan sat on a large boulder, looking at Chen Ji: “Have you learned your lesson?”

Chen Ji was silent. Xuan Yuan smiled: “You’re certainly not the only one in this world who dares to be ruthless with himself. Anyone who can charge into battle is a fierce warrior who has crawled out of a pile of corpses. Against a formidable warrior like the Halberd Giant, mere aggression is useless. We’ve seen plenty of ruthless people.

You must learn to discard all showy ideas and master true combat techniques.”

Chen Ji pondered.

True combat techniques?

Xuan Yuan said calmly: “You want me to teach you the path of the Sword Seed, but you lack even basic fighting skills and fighting spirit. Giving you the path of the Sword Seed would be like putting a razor-sharp sword into a child’s hand; it can hurt not only others but also himself.”

Chen Ji nodded: “Let’s begin, again.”

Xuan Yuan said: “This time, you cannot run down from this mountaintop. If you run, I will no longer teach you the path of the Sword Seed.”

Chen Ji was puzzled: “But in combat, running when you can’t win is a wise move!”

“You’ve become much smarter than before, and while intelligence is good, a person cannot rely solely on it.” Xuan Yuan sneered, “There will always be mountains in this world that you can never bypass. At those times, you’ll need some fighting spirit and courage.”

Xuan Yuan walked over to the Halberd Giant and pointed to a spot beneath its ribs: “The human body has thirty-six vital points. Specifically, they are the temple, Qimen acupoint, Fengchi acupoint, and Tanzhong acupoint.”

He pointed out each vital spot to Chen Ji, saying, “If the point where your halberd struck had been an inch further to the left, the Halberd Giant, no matter how strong, wouldn’t have been able to exert any force. That’s the difference between having combat skill and not having it. Also, that backward thrust you just made, while impressive, was useless. Killing doesn’t need to look good.”

Chen Ji took a deep breath: “I understand.”

He didn’t know how many battles Xuan Yuan had experienced, but he knew that this was the best teacher he could ever find.

The Halberd Giant no longer waited; it swung its bronze halberd and attacked.

Chen Ji no longer evaded, instead moving and shifting on the mountaintop, seeking a way to fight.

He fixed his gaze on the direction of the bronze halberd’s descent, subtly shifted his body to the right, and watched as the bronze halberd passed within an inch of his nose.

Xuan Yuan’s eyes lit up.

However, before he could utter a word of praise, the Halberd Giant’s wrist flicked, and the crescent blade of the bronze halberd twisted, cutting into Chen Ji’s abdomen.

In the Halberd Giant’s hands, the bronze halberd was like a living thing. Though a cumbersome weapon, it became incredibly tricky in the giant’s grip.

When Chen Ji reappeared, Xuan Yuan’s face was grim: “You clearly dodged well just now, so why didn’t you anticipate that your opponent might have other moves? Combat is like chess; you need to think ten steps ahead for every single move. With equal strength, whoever can foresee the enemy’s actions first will win.”

Chen Ji nodded seriously: “Understood, again!”

He fought from morning until noon, and then from noon until evening. He never won, yet the more he fought, the more serious and excited he became.

He hadn’t counted how many times he had died, but the more he died, the cruder and more direct his fighting style became.

It was like raw steel being put into a furnace for reshaping, then hammered repeatedly into form, forging out all impurities.

Chen Ji suddenly realized that the skill forged in this manner—without routines, without needing to be performed for anyone—was closer to the essence of a killing technique.

Xuan Yuan watched Chen Ji fight again and again, as if tireless.

This young man lacked *that* person’s combat instincts but possessed the exact same fighting spirit.

Obsessive, demonic!

“Now you’re finally starting to resemble yourself!”

In the evening, Chen Ji opened his eyes in the small courtyard of the Taiping Medical Hall.

Xuan Yuan ordered him to rest for half an hour. He slowly exhaled, as if returning from purgatory to the bustling human world.

This time, he had fought the Halberd Giant for the duration of an incense stick, an inseparable struggle, and woke up utterly exhausted.

Chen Ji looked up to see the Young Lord, She Dengke, Liang Gou’er, and Liu Quxing playing pai gow at the dinner table.

Princess Baili and Liang Mao’er were standing by, watching the game.

Copper coins were piled high in front of Liu Quxing, along with a silver peanut he had won from the Young Lord.

Princess Baili looked at Chen Ji and exclaimed, “Oh, you’re awake! Are you hungry? Do you want anything to eat?”

Chen Ji smiled: “Princess, why aren’t you playing with them?”

Baili shook her head: “I don’t gamble, and my father doesn’t allow it either.”

“Huh? Isn’t the Young Lord gambling?”

Baili smiled: “It’s fine. I’ll report him later!”

Chen Ji: “…What deep sibling affection.”

He felt a pang of hunger, but before he could say anything, he heard several jianghu figures outside the door call out, “Young Lord, Young Lord, time to head to White Robe Lane.”

The Young Lord’s eyes lit up: “Today is the day that the chief courtesan Liu from Qinhuai River arrives in Luocheng. I hear she’s exceptional at poetry, calligraphy, music, and chess, and she looks like a celestial fairy. We absolutely must go see her.”

Liang Gou’er clapped his hands in approval. He hadn’t had a drink in days, and his craving for alcohol was intense.

However, Princess Baili poured cold water on their excitement: “Chen Ji is still injured. If everyone leaves, who will look after him? Brother, you keep saying you want to be friends with him. Is this how a person treats a friend?”

The Young Lord scratched his head, looking troubled.

Liu Su was a top courtesan even on the Qinhuai River in Jinling. How could they miss her ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly opened embroidery pavilion in White Robe Lane today in Luocheng?

Liang Gou’er whispered, “Young Lord, why don’t we go, and leave Mao’er and the Princess at the medical hall for the evening?”

The Young Lord looked even more troubled: “Baili has the money!”

Liang Gou’er: …

Chen Ji: …

Indeed, Baili was the real patron.

That’s why the Young Lord took her everywhere.

The small courtyard fell silent; no one had the mind to play pai gow anymore.

For a moment, everyone was pondering a solution.

Only Chen Ji was recuperating, preparing to re-enter the battlefield and fight.

At this moment, Liang Gou’er, standing nearby, suggested: “Young Lord, why don’t we just bring Chen Ji along and look after him there?”

Chen Ji: “…I’m injured, I can’t go!”

The Young Lord looked at Liang Gou’er: “Right, he’s injured, and the injuries are on his chest and legs. We can’t even carry him on our backs.”

Liang Gou’er, having no bottom line when it came to free drinks, immediately thumped his chest: “Mao’er and I will carry his bamboo chair there. After we’ve had our drinks and seen the show, we’ll carry him back.”

Chen Ji: “You truly are a talent, you bastard. As long as you can drink, you’ll do anything.”

The next moment, Liang Gou’er gestured to Liang Mao’er, and they lifted the bamboo chair, carrying it out the door like a bamboo sedan chair.

Chen Ji sat up on the swaying bamboo chair: “Let go, I don’t want to go.”

Liang Gou’er was unconcerned: “It’s not up to you now. Come with us. If you want to sleep, just lie down on the bamboo chair and rest; don’t worry, you won’t fall. That’s White Robe Lane, that’s Chief Courtesan Liu! Are you even a man? Not interested in something like this?”

Chen Ji sighed helplessly: “I’m still injured.”

The Young Lord followed alongside the bamboo chair and said, “I hear it’s not easy to meet Chief Courtesan Liu. You need to submit a poem, and only if she approves will they let you in. Do you have any new poems written these past couple of days? I’ll buy them.”

Chen Ji fell silent. He now had ninety-four taels of silver hidden in the brick crevices under his bed, enough to buy at most three ginseng roots and light six hearths.

But if he wanted to kill Si Cao, it was far from enough.

Chen Ji was silent for a moment: “I’ve happened to come up with a few more lines. Perhaps they could be useful.”

Princess Baili’s eyes lit up. “Let’s go, to White Robe Lane.”

Everyone went outside, where a group of jianghu figures was already waiting at the door.

Each of them had long swords and sabers hanging from their waists.

When they saw Liang Gou’er and Liang Mao’er carrying Chen Ji, they immediately looked surprised and whispered among themselves: “Who is so prestigious that they have Liang Gou’er and Liang Mao’er carrying a sedan chair together?”

Chen Ji quickly gave an awkward laugh: “It has nothing to do with me. I didn’t want to go because of a leg injury, but Brother Liang Gou’er insisted on taking me to White Robe Lane to broaden my horizons. I didn’t ask them to carry me.”

Only then did everyone sigh in relief.

Along the way, over a dozen people chatted and laughed boisterously.

The Young Lord didn’t seem like a Young Lord; he was more like a wandering jianghu rogue who ate meat heartily and drank heavily.

Chen Ji sat on the bamboo chair, and passersby occasionally cast glances at him.

He wasn’t thick-skinned enough, so he simply closed his eyes and plunged back into the battlefield, returning to the fight.

He felt like he was about to touch a certain threshold.

The Halberd Giant was not unbeatable.

In front of the embroidery pavilion in White Robe Lane, flower baskets were arranged for hundreds of meters, even encroaching on other people’s doorways.

On the wide second-floor terrace of the pavilion, wooden railings were draped with red silk, making it look exceptionally festive.

The owner of the embroidery pavilion was Zhang Chang, an obscure figure. However, it was rumored that he used to be a servant in the second branch of the Xu family in Shanghai, which made everyone regard him with respect.

The Xu family—the family of Xu Gong, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Aristocratic families would not associate themselves with White Robe Lane, Red Robe Lane, or the sounds of the Qinhuai River, as they had a bad reputation.

But privately, they all had their own “white gloves” (proxies).

Everyone knew who was behind Zhang Chang, and it was an unspoken understanding.

So, as soon as the embroidery pavilion opened, not only did Liu Mingxian of the Liu family come to show support, but many scions of aristocratic families also brought their scholar friends along.

Some came to see Chief Courtesan Liu, while others came to lend prestige to the Xu family’s business.

Each had their own agenda.

In front of the embroidery pavilion, two young women, dressed in plain white ruqun and draped in white mink, stood gracefully in the cool autumn breeze, smiling as they addressed the guests outside: “Gentlemen, young masters, our embroidery pavilion welcomes guests widely tonight. The first floor has many elegant, spacious, and bright seats. But if you wish to go to the second floor to meet our lady, you must present a commendable poem. If our lady is pleased, one poem can grant entry to three people. There are tables, brushes, and ink in front of the door. Please, help yourselves.”

A young scholar immediately picked up a brush at the table and quickly wrote a poem, handing it to the two young women.

One of the young women took the rice paper and ran upstairs, returning shortly with a charming smile: “Young master, our Chief Courtesan Liu says your poem is not good enough.”

Chief Courtesan Liu gave absolutely no quarter; if she said it wasn’t good enough, it simply wasn’t.

She wasn’t willing to be subtle in the slightest.

The young scholar blushed with shame and embarrassment, lowering his head and slipping into the crowd.

After this trial, many who lacked true talent immediately lost heart and decided to retreat.

Outside the door, Liang Gou’er and the other jianghu figures grumbled, whispering among themselves, unsure how they could enter the embroidery pavilion.

Some suggested climbing in, others suggested fighting their way in—none of them sensible. At this point, the Young Lord began to waver, whispering, “Baili, we only have half a poem. Will it be enough?”

Baili thought for a moment: “If she knows her stuff, this half-line could be worth a hundred of others’ poems. It’ll definitely work!”

Liang Gou’er leaned in and said, “But one poem only allows three people, and there are twelve of us!”

With that, the Young Lord and Princess Baili both looked at Chen Ji, who was sleeping in the bamboo chair.

“Chen Ji, wake up!”

No matter how the Young Lord called, Chen Ji didn’t wake up.

The Young Lord was desperate but utterly helpless. Without a poem, how could they get in?

At this moment, Baili pondered for a moment, then took out a gold melon seed from her small purse and slipped it into Chen Ji’s palm.

Chen Ji opened his eyes: “Got it!”